Stronger
by Outkast Angel321
Summary: One-shot. Takes place during the end of 'Aftershock, pt.2' and is a songfic to "Stronger" by Britney Spears. The story is mainly told from Terra's perspective, but she doesn't narrate, and what made her finally decide to stand up to Slade. First FF. P


**STRONGER**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hola, mi amigos! I really thought the Aftershock Eppys were sooo sad! So, I decided to do a songfic towards the end of the second part of 'Aftershock' with "Stronger", by Britney Spears. I just thought the song really fit the mood at the end of the episode when Terra finally fought Slade. I tried to get as close to the real dialogue in the episode as I could. Anyway, Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Teen Titans.

Slade's power over her body was too strong. Terra, against her will, shot out golden energy from her hands, and a rather large boulder landed on Beast Boy's foot, trapping him.

"Good, let's finish him off now, shall we?" asked Slade, forcing Terra to summon up four boulders, then merging them together into one, poised to crush the trapped changeling.

"Terra, no..." Beast Boy said gently.

"I-I can't fight him. Slade's power is too strong," Terra replied weakly.

"Yes you can! It's your gift Terra, not Slade's."

"Terra! Destroy him!" Slade shouted. Terra helplessly looked at Beast Boy, the only person in her life who ever loved her. And now she was about to annihilate him.

The gigantic boulder was about to drop, when suddenly, a strong, familiar voice sliced through the silence like a knife.

"FREEZE!!!" Everyone turned to see Robin, Starfire, Raven and Cyborg at the far entrance of the cavern.

"Don't listen to him Terra," said Robin.

"Terra! Please NO!" cried Starfire.

"It'll be the last thing you ever do," Raven said fiercely.

"Don't do it! Don't do it!" Cyborg shouted.

"Kill him!" screamed Slade.

"It's your decision; it's your life," Beast Boy said in almost a whisper. Terra clasped her hands over her ears and fell to her knees in despair.

_Hush, just stop, _

_There's nothing you can do or say_

_I've had enough_

_I'm not your property as of today_

_You might think that I won't make it on my own_

Terra opened her eyes, now fiercely glowing with rage. She was fed up with the world. With fighting. With Slade. With herself.

"I'm sorry you guys-Beast Boy-for everything." she said, and stood up. Yellow energy bathed her hands in a golden light, and everyone held their breath.

_But now I'm stronger, than yesterday_

_Now there's nothing but my way_

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_I'm, I'm, stronger_

The deathly boulder hovering just inches over the trapped Beast Boy became surrounded in yellow energy. Beast Boy's heart sank. Right now, he didn't even care anymore it he died or not. But at the last minute, Terra sent the menacing boulder rocketing full force into Slade.

_Then I ever thought that I could be_

_Used to go with the flow_

_Didn't really care 'bout me_

_You might think that I can't take it_

_But you're wrong_

"Why, you ungrateful little-" Slade began, but he didn't get to finish. Terra mercilessly flung more and more boulders at him, knowing for once she was doing a good thing, and righting all of her wrongs. The Titans looked on with awe. Suddenly, Terra lost sight of Slade. Full of surprise attacks, Slade came up from behind Terra and nimbly jumped in front of her, delivering forceful blows, Then he picked up the nearly unconscious girl by the neck. "I gave you shelter, taught you everything I know, and you betray me!" he shouted at her. This made Terra angry. Suddenly, she felt a burning anger and hatred for Slade in her heart; something she should have felt before. Once again, golden energy glowed in her eyes. Although wounded, Terra got out her words loud and clear, that rang throughout the cavern.

"You...can't...control me ANYMORE!!!"

'_Cuz now I'm stronger than yesterday, _

_Now there's nothing but my way_

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_I'm, I'm stronger_

Bright light encased Slade and Terra, and with one final, forceful blow, Terra succeeded in knocking Slade into the pit of burning hot lava that had opened up below them. Then everyone watched the sinister mask disintegrate in the intense heat of the lava. All five Titans stared at the now-redeemed Terra, speechless. Suddenly, the earth beneath their feet shook violently.

"Terra's power! It's triggered the volcano!" Robin cried.

"The whole place is gonna blow! We gotta get out of here!" shouted Cyborg. All of the Titans dashed to the exit, but Terra remained where she stood. Beast Boy worriedly ran back over to her.

"Terra, come on! We have to leave!"

"I can't Beast Boy," she said calmly.

" Why not?" asked Beast Boy.

" I caused this, and now I have to stop the volcano before it destroys the entire city."

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"I'm the only one who can stop it."

"But-"

"I have to, Beast Boy."

Terra wryly smiled. "It's never too late to change," she said, quoting him. She ran up and threw her arms around Beast Boy, who gratefully hugged her back. "You were the best friend I ever had," she said bravely, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Both broke the hug to look at each other for the last time. Beast Boy was in too much shock to even get out a 'goodbye' or even a simple 'I love you', as Terra focused her power on the rock that Beast Boy was standing on and gently coaxed it towards the exit. The last Beast Boy saw of Terra in the cavern was her bravely closing her eyes as he reluctantly left her.

_Come on now, oh yeah_

_Here I go, on my own_

_I don't need nobody better off alone_

_Here I go, on my own now _

_I don't need nobody, not anybody_

_Here I go, here I go, here I go, here I go_

_Alright_

_Here I go, here I go, here I go, here I go_

Terra shot open her eyes, and with a forceful battle cry, summoned all of her strength to stop the volcano from erupting. 'I love you Beast Boy, and I'm doing this for you,' she thought. It was working; she was keeping the lava in the volcano by sealing the top, but it began to backfire. Now that the lava was trapped inside the volcano, it became overwhelmingly hot, and the lava had nowhere to flow. It began crawling up towards Terra. 'I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid!' she thought. ''I love you Beast Boy, and I die for you!'' Terra shouted at the top of her lungs. 'I love you Beast Boy, I love you...' she thought as the lava slowly trapped her in its fiery grasp. Terra gave one last cry of agony as the lava completely covered her body.

_Stronger than yesterday_

_It's nothing but my way_

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_I'm, I'm, _

_Stronger, than yesterday_

_Now there's nothing but my way_

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_Now I'm stronger, than yesterday, _

_Now there's nothing but my way, _

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_I'm, I'm, stronger_

**Her name was Terra. **

**She was gifted with her powers but cursed with them as well. **

**She was my best friend and my worst enemy, **

**And she's one of the bravest people I've ever known.**

The Titans walked into the dark, deserted cavern, their footsteps sounding in the distance. All five slowly walked to where they had last seen Terra.

There stood a stone girl, with her arms outstretched and the love of the world in her eyes. Starfire broke down sobbing. Soon enough, tears managed to escape all of the Titan's eyes (or eye, in Cyborg's case), especially Beast Boy's.

"She was my...my best friend...and...and I loved her," Beast Boy managed to choke out. The Titans all hung their heads and dragged themselves out of the cavern.

The next day, they returned. Starfire placed a delicate bouquet of roses at Terra's feet.

"I will miss you, friend," she said sadly, with red-rimmed eyes from crying.

"I'll never forget you, Terra," Beast Boy managed to say without breaking down sobbing.

"We'll be looking for a way to reverse the effect," said Raven, who also had even cried for Terra.

"And we will. We'll bring her back," said Beast Boy, clenching his fists.

" We will Beast Boy, I promise," said Robin. Cyborg took out a plaque he had made the day before and placed it at Terra's feet. The Titans, with a great grief and sadness, but a spark of hope remaining in their hearts, left the cavern once again.

Terra's plaque read:

**TERRA **

**A TEEN TITAN**

**A TRUE FRIEND**

And she always would be.

So? You like? Please tell me what you think.

Love always,

Outkast Angel321


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